Cruel couple kept victims of trafficking as slaves and forced them to work at farms that supply The Happy Egg Company
Darrel Houghton and Jackie Judge, both in their 50s, kept illegally-trafficked Lithuanian men as slaves
A CRUEL couple kept victims of trafficking as slaves and forced them to work at farms supplying The Happy Egg Company.
Darrell Houghton and Jackie Judge, in their 50s, paid the group of Lithuanians a pittance.
The men claim they were punched and threatened with and kept in poor conditions.
The couple’s firm, DJ Houghton Catching Services, was contracted to work for Happy Egg’s parent company Noble Foods.
The men had to catch and move live free-range chickens for unsuspecting farmers nationwide — and kip in a minibus.
This week a High Court ruling paved the way for compensation claims against the pair from Linton, Kent — who with a middleman are facing a criminal trial in Lithuania.
HELP STAMP OUT SLAVERY
Want to help? Here are some of the possible warning signs to look for, according to the Modern Slavery Helpline:
- Domestic slaves may be held in their employer's home and forced to carry out tasks such as childcare, cooking and cleaning
- They may not be allowed to leave the house on their own, or they may be monitored
- The person may work long working hours
- They may not have access to their own belongings, such as a mobile phone or their own ID
- The employer may be abusive, both physically and verbally
- The person may not interact often with the family they are employed by
- A domestic slave may be deprived of their own personal living space, food, water or medical care
- They may wear poorer quality clothing compared to other family members
Suspicious? You can call the Modern Slavery Helpline on 08000 121 700, or fill in an online report at:
Honourable Mr Justice Lane said that Houghton and Judge "cannot have honestly believed that what was being done by them to the chicken-catchers was morally or legally sound."
Mary Westmacott, the solicitor representing the claimants, said: "This judgement is a salutary warning to company officers that they may be made personally liable for exploitation of their workers.
"I'm delighted that the individuals responsible for my clients' appalling exploitation have finally been held to account in court.
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"This case highlights how victims of modern slavery are hidden in plain sight in the UK.
"Everyone can help prevent this abuse by being vigilant and reporting it."
Noble Foods said yesterday: “When first alerted to the situation in 2012, we immediately and permanently terminated their services.”
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